Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he intends to tender out the provision of the successor programme to the local and community development programme, LCDP, to both the private and the not-for-profit community sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11703/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention, of its kind, in the State. The current Programme officially ended at the end of 2013 having operated for four years. It is being implemented by the Local Development Companies (LDCs) on a transitional basis for 2014 pending the roll-out of a new Programme in January 2015. Management of contracts and Programme oversight will transfer to the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) of the Local Authorities from 1 July next.

LCDCs are being established in each local authority area over the coming months in line with the provisions in the recently enacted Local Government Reform Act 2014. These Committees will bring together both statutory and not-statutory partners, including the community sector, to bring greater co-ordination to area-based activity in their respective areas. The Committees will have responsibility for community and local development programmes funded by my Department and I am confident they will bring a strong, strategic focus to their implementation.

This implementation will involve local development actors and, therefore, the skills and experience that has been built up will continue to be available and utilised locally. In the case of the Local Community Development Programme and in accordance with public procurement rules, the LCDCs will procure the programme locally. All proposals received will be assessed in accordance with the assessment criteria notified with the tender documentation and the contract or contracts will be awarded on the basis of that assessment. While I cannot pre-empt the outcome of such a procurement process, I expect, given their experience, that LDCs will apply to deliver the programme in their areas.